Content Usage Analysis

Definition

Content Usage Analysis

the content management task during which content usage is analyzed

Classification

As illustrated in the preceding figure, Content Usage Analysis is part of the following inheritance hierarchy:

• Type: Concrete
• Superclass: Task
• Subclasses:
  • None

Responsibilities

The typical responsibilities of Content Usage Analysis are to:

• Determine who is actually using the content and if content is being used as planned by its target audiences.
• Determine when and how often individual pieces and types of content are being used.
• Determine if the right content is being published.
• Help determine when specific content should be retired.

Preconditions

Content usage analysis typically can begin when the following preconditions hold:

• The usage phase has started.
• The initial conventions for content analysis (e.g., guidelines, standards) have been produced during the process engineering activity.
• Some content has been published.
• The content management team has been adequately staffed with content usage analysts who have been adequately trained in content usage analysis.

Completion Criteria

Content usage analysis is typically complete when the following postconditions hold:

• The retirement phase has started.
• All content has been retired.

Steps

Content usage analysis typically involves the following teams performing the following steps in an iterative, incremental, parallel, and time-boxed manner:

• Content Management Team:
  • Determine the need for new content by reading and understanding the associated:
    • Informational (data) requirements in the:
      • System Requirements Specification
      • Glossary
      • Domain Model Document
    • Information architecture:
      • Information Architecture Document
    • Content design:
      • Database Design Document
      • Human Interface Design Document
  • Identify, evaluate, and select potential external content and its sources for:
    • Applicability.
    • Reliability.
    • Operational availability.
    • Purchase, setup, and ongoing costs.
  • Develop tranformational templates or software that will automatically transform the external content into the correct format during acquisition.
  • Develop metadata describing the external content and store it in the content metadata database.
  • Acquire the potential new content from the external content sources:
    • Textual content.
    • Audio content.
    • Graphical content.
    • Video content.
  • Store the acquired content in the draft content database.

Techniques

Content usage analysis can typically be performed using the following techniques:

• Reuse
• Conventions (e.g., standards and guidelines for evaluating and transforming external content).
• Reusable Templates

Work Products

Content usage analysis typically results in the production of the following work products:

• Content Analysis Metrics Report

Guidelines

• Content usage analysis should be performed iteratively, incrementally, and in parallel with other content management tasks.
• Content usage analysis is only required for endeavors if significant content exists.
• There is potential overlap between this tasks and the following tasks of the metrics engineering activity:
  • Metrics Collection
  • Metrics Analysis
  • Metrics Reporting